Himalayan glaciers have long been the focus of glaciologists across the world while trying to understand the contrasting patterns of elevation and mass changes. However, with limited number of ground observations, a comprehensive assessment of mass balance on a regional scale still remains elusive. Using the synoptic coverage of remote sensing data, we estimate a detailed spatial variation of glacier ice thickness change in the Central Himalaya of Uttarakhand using geodetic method, on a catchment scale. High resolution TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X (12 m) and SRTM (30 m) digital elevation models (DEMs) have been utilized. The mean elevation change in the catchments is found to be −9.56 ± 0.2 m (mean annual elevation change rate is −0.68 ± 0.01 m a−1). To highlight the water potential of this region, the total ice mass loss has been estimated to be 16.0 ± 1.2 Gigatonne (Gt) from 2000–2014 from eight identified catchments namely Yamunotri, Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Alaknanda, Dhauliganga, Pindar, Goriganga and Kali/Sarda. The estimated mass balance has been validated using reported observations on five selective glaciers and the coefficient of determination is 0.93. This spatial variation of ice thickness estimated in the eight catchments is critical, as the melt-water from these glaciers contribute to the upper Ganga basin.
In this study, mass balance for Chorabari glacier of the Central Himalaya, India has been estimated. This glacier has been considered for the case study as it feeds the Mandakini River and was one of the reasons for flash floods in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand in 2013. The observations are based on glacier area/length change and rate of melting in the multidecade (1976-2016) using Landsat data. The study estimates an overall decrease in area at 0.8% per year. Elevation change has been studied using geodetic method utilizing shuttle radar topography mission and TanDEM-X datasets, which have shown a decrease in elevation in 16 years (2000-16). From these remotely observed parameters, a negative mass balance for the decade 2000-11 indicates glacier retreat. This study highlights the applicability of optical and radar remote sensing for the Himalayan glaciers, for better disaster management and understanding glacier dynamics in response to climate change.
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